The Handbook of Project Management: A Practical Guide to Effective Policies, Techniques and Processes - Softcover

YOUNG, Trevor

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0749449845 ISBN 13: 9780749449841

Publisher: Kogan Page, 2007

Synopsis

<p>Project management skills are hugely desirable for managers at all levels within an organizations, and special skills are required to produce the right results. <i><b>The Handbook of Project Management</b></i> is written specifically to help project managers improve their performance using tried and tested techniques.<br><br>Written by an experienced practitioner, it will be particularly useful if you are: looking to develop project management skills; starting a new project; wishing to acquire new skills; or training others in project management skills. Online resources include checklists, score cards and guide notes for optimizing your project management. Packed with concepts and processes, and tools, this comprehensive handbook will assist anyone responsible for converting strategy into reality.</p>

About this title

About the Author

<p><b>Trevor L Young</b> was, for many years, a senior consultant for the Industrial Society where he designed and conducted two public training courses in project management techniques and project leadership.<br><br><b>Trevor Young</b> was an independent consultant specialising in the introduction of programme management. He was a member of the Institute of Personnel and Development and the author of <i>T<b>he Handbook of Project Management</b></i>, also published by Kogan Page.</p>

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

<p><b>Part 1 The programme and project environment</b><br><br> <b>1 Introduction</b><br><br> What is special about programmes and projects?<br><br> Who is this book for?<br><br> <b>2 Change: programmes and projects</b><br><br> Change and the programme and project manager<br><br> What is a project?<br><br> Projects and sub-projects<br><br> What is a programme?<br><br> An example programme<br><br> Why programme management?<br><br> What is programme management?<br><br> What is project management?<br><br> Why is programme management different from project<br><br> management?<br><br> What is different about programme and project management?<br><br> How are programmes and projects derived?<br><br> The dynamic life cycle<br><br> The dynamic action cycle<br><br> The programme and project process phase gates<br><br> Is the phase gate a constraint?<br><br> Is this control necessary?<br><br> Summary<br><br> <b>3 Organizing for programme management </b><br><br> Organizing for ownership<br><br> Establishing the programme steering team<br><br> Continuous improvement and problem solving: are they projects?<br><br> The programme register<br><br> Operating a programme register<br><br> The key responsibilities of the programme steering team<br><br> Meetings of the programme steering team<br><br> Managing the portfolio: selection of programmes and projects<br><br> The inputs to effective selection<br><br> The secondary screening<br><br> The result of effective selection<br><br> Summary<br><br> <b>4 The key roles </b><br><br> The project steering team administrator<br><br> The sponsor<br><br> The programme manager<br><br> The project manager<br><br> The functional manager<br><br> The stakeholders<br><br> Frequently used terms<br><br> The programme and project manager as a leader<br><br> The dimensions of leadership in the programme and<br><br> project environment<br><br> Dimension 1: Managing stakeholders<br><br> Dimension 2: Managing the dynamic life cycle<br><br> Dimension 3: Managing performance<br><br> Programmes, projects and teamwork<br><br> Building your team<br><br> Customer satisfaction<br><br> <b>Part 2 The programme and project processes and techniques </b><br><br> <b>5 Starting up: ideas and opportunities for projects </b><br><br> The fundamental data needs<br><br> What are the constraints?<br><br> What data do the programme steering team require?<br><br> Preparing the initial business case<br><br> Through Gate Zero to Gate One<br><br> Presenting the business case to the programme steering team<br><br> The kick-off meeting<br><br> Project documentation<br><br> The project brief and specification<br><br> Summary<br><br> <b>6 Defining the project </b><br><br> What is necessary to define a project?<br><br> The stakeholder list<br><br> The project brief<br><br> The scope of work statement<br><br> Risk management<br><br> Risk assessment<br><br> Quantifying identified risks<br><br> Risk monitoring<br><br> Getting your project definition approved<br><br> Summary<br><br> <b>7 Planning your project </b><br><br> What is not going to be done?<br><br> Who needs to be involved?<br><br> Where does planning start?<br><br> Identifying the key stages<br><br> The project work breakdown structure<br><br> Allocating responsibility<br><br> What is an estimate?<br><br> Avoid some classic pitfalls<br><br> The golden rules<br><br> Effort and duration<br><br> Estimating the durations<br><br> Contingencies<br><br> Time-limited scheduling and estimates<br><br> Practical estimating<br><br> The programme evaluation and review technique<br><br> Analysing the logic diagram<br><br> Using the PERT analysis data<br><br> Analysing your resource requirements<br><br> Optimizing your schedule<br><br> Reviewing your project risk log<br><br> Reviewing your project budget<br><br> Intermediate phase gates<br><br> Seeking approval to launch your project<br><br> Summary<br><br> <b>8 Launching your project </b><br><br> Establishing key stage work plans<br><br> Deriving a milestone schedule<br><br> Critical success factors<br><br> Ensuring effective communication<br><br> Project status reports<br><br> Deriving a meetings schedule for your project<br><br> Managing project changes<br><br> Holding a launch meeting<br><br> Summary<br><br> <b>9 Executing the project work </b><br><br> The project control system<br><br> Monitoring progress<br><br> Managing issues<br><br> Reviewing project issues<br><br> Tracking your project<br><br> Taking corrective action<br><br> Problem solving<br><br> Progress meetings<br><br> Progress reporting<br><br> Encouraging good time management<br><br> Controlling the project costs<br><br> Balancing the project<br><br> Approaching the closure phase<br><br> Summary<br><br> <b>10 Closing your project </b><br><br> Why have a closure phase?<br><br> Establishing completion criteria<br><br> The acceptance process<br><br> The close-out meeting<br><br> Evaluating your project<br><br> Closing down the project<br><br> Post-project evaluation<br><br> Post-project appraisals<br><br> What next?<br><br> Summary<br><br> <b>11 Using a computer </b><br><br> What can software do?<br><br> Using a software program<br><br> What software does not do<br><br> Selecting project software<br><br> The programme management office<br><br> <b>12 Common Project Problems</b><br><br> Problem analysis<br><br> How projects succeed</p>

Edition details

• Publisher: Kogan Page
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0749449845
• ISBN 13: 9780749449841
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 304